Muscle Building Power Meal Recipe

Not a meal replacement, instead a complete and nutritious meal in a jar

Build Muscle - Reduce Body Fat

The purpose of using this meal is to build muscle and develop a lean(er) physique.  I intend to eat a lot of it in the next 4 months, up to three 12 oz servings per day.  It's loaded with protein in an amount sufficient to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.  Since we lead busy lives, whipping this up in large batches will help to ensure that we eat well, even if time does not allow for regular daily meal preparation.  When pressed for time I tend to get to the meat, but not the veggies.

Power Meal Preparation

Prep Time: 3o min            Cook Time: 1 hr

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 6 lbs 83% Lean Ground Beef

• 10 oz carrots, shredded

• 1 lb fresh brocolli

• 6 medium red onions, chopped

• 8 oz fresh portabello mushrooms, sliced

• 1 full head, approximately 20 cloves, garlic, pressed

• 3 tbsp lard or bacon grease

• 3 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt

• 3 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

• In a large pot over Medium High heat, melt the lard

• Sauté the onions

• Add 3 tsp salt and mix into the onions

• Add 3 tsp ground black pepper and mix into the onion

• Add the crushed/pressed garlic and sauté briefly

• Add the 6 lbs of ground beef and brown; burner to High

• Add the carrots, fold in; burner to Medium, cover, folding over occasionally

• Add the broccoli and fold in; re-cover

• Add the mushrooms and fold in; burner to Medium Low, re-cover until 'shrooms done to your liking

• Fill 12 one-pint Ball jars

• Put lids on the jars and allow to cool on the countertop

• Refrigerate or freeze

Protocol and Resources

I'll be eating 3 meals a day for the first time in quite awhile, cutting down on the fat in my coffee, and making sure I get a "bolus" of protein at each of those 3 meals (30-50g of protein); enough to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS).  The eating window will be between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with approximately 5 hours between meals.

The point here is to optimize my body composition and see what is achievable.  As Shawn Baker says, people have a tendency to "conflate youth with health."  I think it's safe to say I'm in the best health of my life, but I'm looking for more.  In putting together this protocol I consulted with my friend and trainer Justin Reich, and for the science of building muscle as we age I consulted the website of Dr Gabrielle Lyon.  (Just a plug here for Dr. Lyon, she's in the business of preventing the preventable when it comes to aging.  Muscle is an organ, and it is at the heart of aging with great health and mobility.  If you are in your 50's or beyond I urge you to pay a visit to her website; you won't be disappointed.)  The originator of the recipe is my dear wife, Geri.  She started making these years ago on the recommendation of Justin, using whatever she had in the fridge; delicious every time.  You know how Italians are though in the kitchen, they don't commit recipes to writing!  This is my attempt to make it available to you; any errors are mine.

To read more about our health journey, see our posts in the Care for Health category.

Thank you, warm regards, and Merry Christmas,

John

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